airframe

[ air-freym ]

/ ˈɛərˌfreɪm /

the framework and external covering of an airplane, rocket, etc.

Origin of airframe

First recorded in 1930–35; air(plane) + frame

airedale, airfare, airfield, airflow, airfoil, airframe, airfreight, airglow, airhead, airhose, airily

Both a rocket engine with a temperamental record and an airframe of revolutionary design and construction had to be proved safe.

Virgin Galactic’s Flight Path to Disaster: A Clash of High Risk and Hyperbole |Clive Irving |November 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The tests took place in a 1960s vintage Boeing 727 airframe.

Passenger Flights Must Stop Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries as Cargo |Clive Irving |May 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

airframe

/ (ˈɛəˌfreɪm) /

the body of an aircraft, excluding its engines